lewis



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shet 2.

J. M. LEWIS.

VISE.

No. 517,347. Patented Marf27, 1894.

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' UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

JOSEPH M. LEWIS, OF TRENTON, NEW JERSEY.

VISE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 517,347, dated March27,1894.

Application filed January 6, 1894. Serial No. 495,937- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH M. LEWIS, a citi zen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Trenton, in the county of Mercer and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vises; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a vise with mechanism formoving the sliding jaw toward the stationary jaw and locking the same inposition so that the work will be held securely between said jaws, themechanism also serving to project the movable jaw away from thestationary jaw to release the work.

The invention consists in the combination of a slide-bar havingrack-teeth and a toothed piece which is spring-actuated and is adaptedto engage with the rack-teeth of the slide-bar and with a recess in theslide-box of the vise as well as with the operating mechanism ortoggles, so that when the toggles are moved in one direction the toothedpiece will be first caused to engage with the rack-teeth of theslide-bar and will afterward be moved into the recess and 'be therebyheld in positive engagement. The construction also provides that whenthe pressure exerted by the toggles upon the toothed piece is releasedsaid toothed-piece will be caused to move and will carry with it theslide-bar so as to release the work held between the jaws.

The invention further consists in providing inclined bearings for thecam-lever whereby the outer end of the same when in its lowered positionwill be held by gravity.

The invention further consists in the special constructionandcombination of the parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth andparticularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view, showing avise constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontalsectional View. Fig. 3 is a similar view on the line 2 2 of Fig. 7, withthe slide-bar and operating mechanism re moved. Figs. 4, 5 and 6 aredetail perspective views, and Fig. 7 is aside elevation showing thelever in a position to hold the jaws locked.

A designates the vise-bed which has formed integral therewith theslide-box and the projections between which is pivoted the operatinghandle or cam-lever. This vise-bed has also the usual stationary jawformed thereon and projections or brackets which support the slide-bar.

The slide-box is provided with openings A and A through which passes theslide-bar, and one of the vertical walls of the opening A is cut away toprovide a recess A The bottom of the slide-box has a recess Ct with anextension a, and these recesses are of sufficient depth to receive abowed spring B, one end of which is bent to lie within the extension awhile the other end engages with the depending portion of atoothed-piece G. The bottom of the slide-box is also recessed at a sothat the under side of the slide-bar will hear at the lower ends of theopenings A and A Openings are provided in the bottom of the slide-box,as shown, which afford ready means for removing any filings or dirt,which may collect in the slide-box, the work bench being cut awaybeneath the openings, and one of these openings may be adjacent to theinner side of the front wall of the slide-box to provide therein avertical recess a which forms a bearing for one of the toggle-blocks.

a designates an inclined slot or opening in the bottom of the slide-boxwith which a guide on a wedge engages.

A and A designate projecting portions formed integral with the slide-boxwhich are provided with inclined bearing-surfaces and with inclinedapertures through which passes a pin for pivoting the operating handleor cam-lever. The inclined bearing-surfaces are parallel with eachother.

The slide-bar which carries the movable jaw is of the usual constructionand is provided with ratchet-teeth as shown, and said slidebar passesthrough the openings A and A in the slide-box and is retained therein bya suitable pin or stop.

C designates a toothed-piece which is provided with a depending portion0 with which one end of the spring B engages, and the toothed-piece isreduced at the end opposite the depending portion so that said reducedend can pass into the recess A in the side wall of the opening A Theside of the toothedpiece opposite the teeth is provided with a hook, O.

D and D designate toggle-blocks which have curved faces (Z and recesses(Z' and d which are separated by a wall (Z These toggle-blocks aresimilarin construction with the exception that the one D has anextension or hook d. The toggle-block D has a bearing in the recess aformed in the front wall of the slide-box, and the other toggle-blockbears against the hook C of the toothed piece, and between the curved oradjoining faces of the toggle-blocks is placed a wedge E, said wedgehaving projecting flanges e ewhich enter the recesses d of thetoggle-blocks, and on a line with these flanges the pointed end of thewedge has projections e which serve to retain the wedge between thetoggle-blocks. The walls (1 of the toggle-blocks bearing against thewedge serve to cause the parts to move in unison. The wedge is alsoprovided with a projecting lug e which enters the inclined slot orrecess 01, 111 the bottom of the slide-box.

F designates the operating lever which is provided with a cam-shaped endf and a projecting-portion f. This lever is pivoted between theprojections A and A and is retained in position by the pivot-pin whichpasses through the inclined apertures in the projections. By providingthe lever with the inclined bearing-surfaces when it is moved to oneside to unlock the vise the handle will be elevated so as to provideample room beneath the handle so that the hand or fingers of theoperator will not strike against the table, and when moved in theopposite direction, or in a position to lock the vise, the handle beingat its lowest point the weight thereof will prevent the same raising byany jar on the vise, and any jar or hammering on the vise will tend tomove the handle so as to causeit to exert a greater pressure upon thelocking mechanism than otherwise.

In operation, when the handle or lever is thrown to the position showninFigs. 1 and 2,

the reduced portion of the cam end of thelever will permit thetoothed-piece to be moved by the spring to rock the toggle blocks anddisengage the said toothed-piece from the aperture A in the slide-box,and by causing the engagement of the projection f of the lever with theprojection on the toggle-block D the toothed-piece will be farther movedto hold the same away from the slide-bar, as shown. \Vhen the parts arethus positioned the slide-bar can have a perfectly free move ment withinthe slide-box and can be readily adjusted to approximate the distancebetween the jaws to suit the work to be clamped. When the lever is movedon its pivotso as to disengage the projection f from the projec tion onthe toggle'block D the toothed-piece will immediately engage with therack-teeth on the slide-bar so that the slide-bar can be moved to bringthe movable jaw toward the stationary jaw, the teeth sliding over eachother and being kept in engagement by the spring. The work is placedbetween thejaws and held between them by moving the movable jaw, and bymoving the lever the camface thereof bearing upon the wedge will tend tomove the toggle-blocks on a line which will cause the toothed-piece toengage the slide-bar and move the same to firmly clamp the work, theprojecting end of the toothedpiece moving into the recess A holding therack-teeth of the toothed-piece and slide-bar in positive engagement.The handle when turned to lock the work in the vise will assume itslowest position and will be retained by gravity. When it is desired torelease the work from between the jaws the handle is turned upon itspivot releasing the pressure upon the end of the wedge E and the springdrawing upon the toothed-piece C will move the slide-bar with saidtoothed-piece until the projecting end of said toothed-piece is freeofthe recess A this releases the work, and when the lever reaches itsmovement where the projection f engages the projection on thetoggle-block I) the toothed'piece will be drawn entirely out ofengagement with the teeth on the slide-bar.

The wedge and toggles combined with the camend of the lever form a verypowerful leverage so that a great amount of pressure can be exerted uponthe work in drawing the jaws toward each other, and the parts are soconstructed that the spring not only acts upon the toothed-piece butalso through the same upon the toggles and wedge, so that the wedge isheld in contact with the cam face of the lever. It will also be notedthat when the projecting end of the toothedpiece is in the recess A theslide-bar and toothed-piece will move together as one piece.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a vise constructed substantially as shown, a lever having acam-end for operating the locking and unlocking mechanism, said leverbeing pivoted upon an inclined pin, for the purpose set forth.

2. In a vise constructed substantially as shown, a slide box havingprojections with in clined bearing surfaces and apertures at rightangles with said bearing surfaces through which passes a pin upon whichis mounted the operating lever, substantially as shown and for thepurpose set forth.

3. In a vise constructed substantially as shown, the combination, of atoothed-piece having rack-teeth, means for causing the engagement ofsaid teeth with the teeth of the slide-bar of the vise and impartthereto a lateral movement, whereby the toothed-piece is moved betweenthe slide-bar and the rigid frame of the vise, for the purpose setforth.

4. In a vise, the combination, of a slide-box having openings throughwhich the slide-bar passes, one of the walls of one of the openingsbeing cut away to provide a recess, of a toothed-piece and actuatingmeans adapted to move said toothed-piece in engagement with the teeth onthe slide-bar and into the recess, substantially as shown and for thepurpose set forth.

5. In a vise, the combination, of a slide-box having openings A and Aone wall of the opening A being cut away to form a recess A of aslide-bar having ratchet-teeth and a toothed-piece having a projectingportion which is adapted to enter the recess A said toothed-piece beingspring-actuated in one direction, and toggles for moving thetoothedpiece against the action of the spring and in engagement with therecess and ratchet-teeth on the slide-bar, substantially as set forth.

6. In a vise, a slide-box constructed'substantially as shown andprovided with a recess at having an extension a, a bowed spring locatedwithin said recesses, said spring having a bent end, in combination witha toothedpiece 0 having a dependingportion which enters the recess a andengages with the spring, and means for operating the toothedpiece,substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth. I

7. In a vise, the combination, of the toggleblocksD'and D havingrecesses 01-, of awedge having laterally-proj ectin g flanges which en'-ter said recesses, the toggle-blocks being adapted to engage with atoothed-piece having a hook, and a cam-lever, substantially as shown andfor the purpose set forth. 1

8. In a vise, the combination, of a slide-box having a spring-receivingrecess a and a notch or recess a forming a bearing for a toggle-' block,a slide-bar provided with ratchet-teeth, a toothed-piece which isadaptedto engage with a spring located within the recess a, with theratchet-teeth of the slide-bar and with toggle mechanism which isactuated in one direction by the hereinbefore mentioned spring and inthe other direction by a camlever, the parts being organizedsubstantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

9. In a vise constructed substantially as shown, and provided with apivoted lever having a cam-shaped end the combination, with a slide-barand toothed-piece, of the toggle-blocks D and D having recesses d, andan interposed wedge E having flanges e e which engage the recesses 01'in the toggleblocks, the toggle mechanism being actuated in onedirection bya cam formed on the han-I die or lever F.- I

r. 10. In a vise, the combination, of aslide-box constructedsubstantially as shown, a slidebar, a toothed-piece spring-actuated inone direction and provided with a hook'C', of the toggle-blocks D and Dhaving recesses d,a

wedge having flanges which enter said re cesses and a projection whichentersa slot in the bottom of the slide-box, and a lever which isadapted to engage with the wide end of the wedge, substantially as shownand for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH M. LEWIS.

Witnesses: V

FRANK W. THURMAN, CONRAD B. BENNETT.

